This invention is directed to a device for attaching the ends of two or more wires of an electrical circuit together using a twist-on type wire connector. These connectors are available in a variety of sizes and shapes including truncated conical types with an outer ribbed surface, wing connectors and what are called finned connectors. The connectors can be fastened to the ends of the wires by a workman tightening the connector over the wires by hand. This was the original method of tightening the connector over the wires. Later, wrenches were provided to enable the worker to apply more force to make better connections. In recent years, as cordless electric tools have become more prevalent in the marketplace, the workers frequently use such tools to tighten the wire connector on to the ends of the wires.
This invention is directed to a device for attaching a wire connector to the ends of one or more wires which device can be connected to the chuck of a battery operated power tool or to a manually operated wrench. In contrast to previous power operated wire connector drivers and hand activated wrenches, the device of this invention can be used to twist on a wide variety of wire connectors of different sizes and styles, including the conventional ribbed, somewhat conical shaped connectors, wire connectors having wings located on their skirts and wire connectors having wings extending from the frusto-conical portions of their bodies which are conventionally referred to as “finned” connectors.
An object of this invention is a wire connector device such as a driver or a wrench having a connector receiving socket defined by an imperforate annular wall which strengthens the body of the driver.
Another object of this invention is a wire connector driver or wrench which can accommodate an in-line wing style connector.
Still another object of this invention is a wire connector driver or wrench which can pre-capture wing and finned connectors and hold them in an inverted position prior to installation on the wires.
Yet another object of this invention is a wire connector driver which can accommodate a multitude of different styles and/or sizes of wire connectors.
Other objects of the invention will be found in the following specification, claims and drawings.